Taiwan’s president offers condolences to China over deadly earthquake in Sichuan

Taiwan‘s government expressed its condolences to

on Tuesday for an earthquake in Sichuan province and said it was ready to send rescuers, in a sign of goodwill to Beijing despite weeks of military tensions.

China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory despite the strong objections of the government in Taipei, has been carrying out drills around the island following a visit last month by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Taiwan’s presidential office…